Group X Solos: Lotus: "Typhoid Fever"

Author's note: I know it may seem a bit monotonous at times, and no descriptions are given between panels, but generally this story was designed to emphasize the writing and not the scenery. Caption Notations: L - Lotus; M- Virgin Mary; T- Typhoid; B- Bloody Mary.

(Front cover. Lotus, wearing her uniform, is next to Typhoid Mary. Typhoid Mary is dressed in a straightjacket and a pair of pants.)

Typhoid: You really want inside my head, do you?

Lotus: Some journeys must be made, no matter what the cost.

(Page 1, splash page. Leave room for credits here. A padded cell. Typhoid Mary is sitting on the floor, wearing a straightjacket and a pair of pants. She has a sour look on her face. The narrator captions (N) are on the left; the Typhoid captions are on the right.)

Cap (N1): She is as deadly as she is beautiful.

Cap (N2): She was born Mary Alice Walker.

Cap (N3): Fate turned her into three people.

Cap (N4): The first one you see here is known as Typhoid Mary.

Cap (N5): More on the others later.

Cap (T1): %&#$ witch.

Cap (T2): She got in control of us long enough to check us into a mental hospital.

Cap (T3): We've been here before.

Cap (T4): And we'll get out again.

(Page 2, panel 1. Outside the padded cell, two orderlies, dressed in white lab coats and pants, look Typhoid over.)

Sam: (Orderly) Man, take a look at her.

Tom: (Other orderly) She's as certifiable as they come, though.

(Panel 2. They continue to stare at Typhoid.)

Sam: I hear she's killed over 30 people.

Tom: Yea. Scary babe.

(Panel 3.)

Sam: I wonder what is it about her that fascinates men?

Tom: Don't really know. Then again I'm very committed to my lover.

(Panel 4. Tom turns around.)

Tom: They said there's supposed to be some special psychiatrist that has success with hard cases like hers. I wonder where he is?

Voice: (From off panel) Well, I'm here, but I'm not a man.

(Page 3, panel 1. The two of them turn to see Lotus there, walking in. She is dressed in a pleasant woman's business suit.)

Lotus: Sorry it took so long. Traffic here is murder. So where's the patient?

Tom: In there… let me open the door for you.

(Panel 2. Lotus approaches the door.)

Lotus: No need to do that.

(Panel 3. Lotus shifts into her spirit form, and passes through the door.)

Tom: Oh my….

(Panel 4. Lotus enters the room where Typhoid is sitting on the floor.)

Typhoid: Wonderful. They've sent a ball of light to torture me now.

(Panel 5. Lotus turns solid.)

Lotus: Far from it.

Typhoid: Another %&*# shrink.

(Page 4. Panel 1. Lotus sits opposite Typhoid.)

Lotus: Well, Mary Walker, let's get started, shall we?

Typhoid: Let's not and say we did.

(Panel 2. Lotus smiles.)

Lotus: Ah, resistance. You got to love it. Don't you want to be better?

Typhoid: I'm fine just the way I am.

(Panel 3.)

Lotus: Are you? Are all of your personalities in agreement on that?

Typhoid: What does it matter to you?

(Panel 4.)

Lotus: Frankly, I don't care one way or the other. However, you should.

Typhoid: Hah. Very funny.

(Panel 5.)

Lotus:  Well, if you won't talk to me, how about letting someone else talk to me?

Typhoid: You really want to talk to her? Fine. Have at her.

(Page 5, panel 1. Lotus is now sitting opposite Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary looks the place over with suspicion.)

Bloody: Wha? What happened? Where am I?

Lotus: You are in Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, in the criminally insane wing. What happened was that one of you managed to gain enough sanity to check all of you into this place.

(Panel 2. Bloody Mary slumps back against the wall.)

Bloody: Damn. Here again.

Lotus: Well, it's not so bad, once you get used to it.

(Panel 3. Bloody Mary sneers at Lotus.)

Bloody: (coldly) Don't patronize me.

Lotus: Relax. My name is Lotus, and you are?

(Panel 4. Bloody Mary stops sneering at Lotus.)

Bloody: Just call me Bloody Mary.

Lotus: So I see.

(Page 6, panel 1.)

Lotus: So what are you supposed to represent?

Bloody: What are you talking about?

(Panel 2.)

Lotus: In a person with multiple personalities, each personality is supposed to represent something. I want to know what you are supposed to represent.

Bloody: Oh - that. I represent me. End of story.

(Panel 3. )

Lotus: So all of you know that you have multiple personalities?

Bloody: I have to share this body with two others. I don't like it at all.

(Panel 4.)

Lotus: Would you like to be free of the others?

Bloody: Perhaps. But I know that's not going to happen.

(Panel 5.)

Lotus: It can happen if you want it to happen.

(Page 7, panel 1. Bloody Mary turns away from Lotus.)

Bloody: Go away. I hate psychiatrists.

Lotus: Actually, I'm a sociologist, if that really matters.

(Panel 2. Bloody Mary gets angry, lunging forward and gritting her teeth at Lotus.)

Bloody: I hate sociologists even more!

Lotus: Ah, so you're the anger aspect of her.

SFX: Beep!

(Panel 3. Lotus turns toward the one-way mirror.)

Lotus: Yes?

Sam: (from off panel): Ms. Jones? It's lunchtime for her.

(Panel 4. Lotus stands up, advancing on the door.)

Lotus: I'll be out shortly - no need to open the door.

(Panel 5. Lotus shifts into her spirit form, and exits the room.)

Bloody: Good riddance.

(Page 8, panel 1. Lotus exits the room in her spirit form, and approaches the orderlies from earlier.)

Tom: So how did the preliminaries go?

Lotus: Well, she didn't try to attack me, that's a good sign. However, I think every other setback I could encounter, I did.

(Panel 2.)

Lotus: She's a classic multiple personality, however there are some different twists to her. First of all, in any multiple personality, the underlying root energy of the core being is the same; for her though, it's different.

(Panel 3.)

Sam: Some of her personalities have shown superhuman powers. Do you think this could be due to her mutant nature?

Lotus: Anything's possible at this point. They were keeping two personalities from me, however. I'm going to try and probe for them tomorrow.

(Panel 4.)

Lotus: I am beginning to think she has several spirits trapped within her - a celestial accident put a psychotic killer in the body of a nice young woman.

(Panel 5. Lotus turns to the exit.)

Lotus: I'll be here bright and early tomorrow. This one's going to be a tough nut to crack.

Tom: You're not staying for the afternoon?

(Panel 6. Lotus stops.)

Lotus: I'm afraid I've got to do some serious preparations to confront her tomorrow. It's going to take me all afternoon and evening to do it.

(Page 9, panel 1. Group X plane. From outside the plane we can see it parked next to the Avengers mansion.)

Cap (N1): Later on, Lotus has returned to her home away from home…

Cap (N2): The Group X plane…

(Panel 2. Go inside to see Lotus sitting in the living area. With her is She-Hulk. Lotus is in the same dress she was wearing earlier; She-Hulk is in a moderately cut blouse and figure-hugging bicycle pants.)

Cap (L): Fortunately, I've got an insider here in New York…

She-Hulk: So you've been sent here to psychoanalyze one of the most disturbed minds in New York?

Lotus: Makes you glad you majored in law and not sociology, right?

(Panel 3. She-Hulk nods.)

She-Hulk: True, but then again, you don't have to put criminals in prison like I do.

Lotus: You have to admit though, a 6' 7", 600 some-odd pound green lawyer that can bench press a building is a lot more intimidating than a 5'4" petite woman who can barely bench press 150 lbs.

(Panel 4. Both of them smile.)

She-Hulk: I wasn't always this way, you know.

Lotus: True. Well, if I remember correctly, you said you'd take me shopping the next time I was in New York…

(Panel 5. They stand up.)

She-Hulk: I did, didn't I? Well, looks like we're going shopping, Lecita.

(Page 10, panel 1. Later on, our heroines return armed with several bags of clothing, makeup, and the like.)

Lotus: You've got a lot of stuff here in New York, Jen. I've had a lot of fun here.

She-Hulk: Yea. I'm glad some of the others could make it too.

(Panel 2. Enter the Wasp, also wearing a nice dress. She too holds some bags of clothing.)

Wasp: It's been way too long since I got to relax like that. Thanks, Jen.

She-Hulk: Any time, Jan.

(Panel 3. The ladies set their bags down in the living area.)

Lotus: Well, who's up for dinner?

(Panel 4. Next morning, Lotus returns to the cell containing Typhoid Mary.)

Cap (N): The next morning, our heroine returns to the place where Typhoid Mary is being held.

Cap (L1): I needed that.

Cap (L2): However, I have something serious to discuss with Typhoid here.

(Panel 5. Lotus reenters the padded cell via her spirit form. Typhoid is still in the straightjacket on the ground.)

Typhoid: You again.

Lotus: Relax, Typhoid. I'm here to help.

(Panel 6.)

Typhoid: Yea, and the check's in the mail, I'll see you in church, and we'll do lunch sometime.

Lotus: Why don't you show me some of your other personalities?

(Page 11, panel 1. Typhoid stares coldly at Lotus.)

Typhoid: I'm not about to let that witch out.

Lotus: Why not? Are you afraid that she's going to want to make you better?

(Panel 2.)

Typhoid: $%*& off, witch.

Lotus: Swearing at me won't get rid of me.

(Panel 3. Lotus strokes her chin in contemplation.)

Cap (L1): I really don't want to do this…

Cap (L2): Looks like I have no alternative.

Typhoid: I'll let her out when hell freezes over.

Lotus: Then you leave me no alternative.

(Panel 4. Lotus discharges a white light from her forehead onto Typhoid. Typhoid is knocked back.)

Typhoid: Gah!

(Panel  5. Typhoid assumes the fetal position, covering her face.)

Lotus: Typhoid? Bloody? Are you o.k.?  

(Page 12, panel 1. Virgin Mary  is now opposite Lotus.)

Cap (L1): It worked.

Cap (L2): This is the most stable, sane personality. I think I can reason with this one.

Lotus: Ah, a new personality, I see.

Mary: Ugh…

(Panel 2. Virgin Mary looks up.)

Mary: Wha - oh. You've got to help me.

Lotus: I'll do everything I can, Mary.

(Panel 3.)

Mary: I hate being three people, Doc. I just want to be normal.

Lotus: Well, I'm not a doctor, but I can help you. My name is Lotus. I'd like to start by exploring your past. Tell me everything about your childhood.

(Panel 4. Flashback to a 4 year old Mary Walker. She is dressed in a pink girl's dress. She is in a brownstone apartment, which is sparsely furnished.)

Cap (M1): I was born here in New York city, to a rather nice family.

Cap (M2): Unfortunately, not everyone in my family was nice.

Cap (M3): It made me dread the holidays…

(Page 13, panel 1. Adults surround Mary. The people are having a good time except for Mary.)

Cap (M1): I had an uncle who liked little girls…

Cap (M2): The trouble is, he liked them a little too much.

(Panel 2. Mary is being lead off by an older man. The man is wearing a suit and tie. He has brown hair and eyes.)

Cap (M1): He abused me.

Cap (M2): He made me do things that I was ashamed of.

Cap (M3): I told my father, but he did not believe me at first.

(Panel 3. In shadow, we see the same man standing over Mary, who is on a bed.)

Cap (M1): Dad told me never to tell mother.

Cap (M2): Fate intervened one day…

(Panel 4. Mary's mother (seen in Typhoid #4) enters the room.)

Mother: OH MY GOD! GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER! YOU ANIMAL!

(Panel 5. Mary is now a little older, and standing next to her mother.)

Cap (M1): Mom and dad divorced.

Cap (M2): But the seeds of hatred were planted in me.

Cap (M3): I would start to have episodes where I lost my memory.

Cap (M4): Mom was very embittered by the experience.

(Page 14, panel 1. The present again. Lotus is sitting opposite Mary in the padded cell.)

Mary: Mom never wanted me to marry, and make the same mistake she did.

Lotus: Let's talk about the abuse. How did it make you feel?

(Panel 2. Mary gets emotional.)

Mary: Hurt… ashamed… I didn't know what was going on. After awhile, I blamed myself for this. It made me depressed.

Lotus: Well, if it's any consolation, I was abused as a child as well.

(Panel 3. Mary looks up at Lotus, somewhat disbelieving her.)

Mary: You… you were abused as well?

Lotus: It's not something I enjoy admitting.

(Panel 4. Lotus rolls up her sleeve to show a tattoo of a number on her arm.)

Lotus: I was about 7 when they hauled me into a mutant reeducation camp.

Mary: That's about the time I started being abused.

(Panel 5. Lotus smiles slightly.)

Lotus: But I got help - and now I can function in society. If I can do it, so can you.

Mary: You really think so?

(Page 15, panel 1.)

Lotus: I know it's true. You have to believe that you can be helped.

Mary: How do I start?

(Panel 2.)

Lotus: The biggest step is admitting you need help - something you've already done. The next steps involve a lot of pain, angst, and trouble. Having talked to your other personalities, I think they will resist you tooth and nail on this.

Mary: I want to be sane again. I'll do anything I can.

(Panel 3.)

Lotus: All right then, let's talk about the first time he took advantage of you. How old were you then?

Mary: I was…

(Panel 4. Mary tries to grab her head, turning away from Lotus. She is stopped from actually grabbing her head by the straightjacket.)

Mary: AH! No! Not now!

(Panel 5. Typhoid is now at the forefront, and stares coldly at Lotus.)

Typhoid: That was a very cheap shot.

Lotus: Ah, back again, are we?

(Panel 6. Typhoid grits her teeth at Lotus.)

Typhoid: I don't know what you did to me, but I definitely did not like it.

Lotus: Your other personality did.

(Page 16, panel 1.)

Typhoid: (Angry) I'm the one in control here!

Lotus: If you are the one in control, why did you switch to another personality when you got a taste of the spirit?

(Panel 2. Typhoid concentrates, and the buckles on her straightjacket come apart.)

Typhoid: Let's get rid of this thing. It really clashes with my hair.

Lotus: It really doesn't matter one way or another to me.

SFX: Plink! Plink!

(Panel 3.  Typhoid takes off the straightjacket.)

Typhoid: That's better. Now, why would you want to get inside my head?

Lotus: I've been wondering that myself.

(Panel 4.)

Lotus: Seriously, I've had a nice chat with your other personality. She wants to be normal again. Why don't you?

Typhoid: You've been talking to her, hmm? God, she is such a Girl Scout…

(Panel 5.)

Lotus: You seem to hate her, yet you don't want to be free of her?

Typhoid: We're stuck being who we are. We can't change that.

 (Page 17, panel 1.)

Lotus: A leopard may not be able to change its spots, but it can change how it hunts.

Typhoid: Just why do you want to help here? I'm fine being who I am.

(Panel 2. Typhoid completely removes her straightjacket.)

Lotus: Not all of your personalities seem to agree with that.

Typhoid: Screw them. I'm the one in charge here.

(Panel 3. Lotus smiles slightly.)

Lotus: If that's the case, why did you suddenly turn into her when you got a dose of the spirit?

Typhoid: (not amused) That was a cheap shot you took at me.

(Panel 4.)

Lotus: It was no different than what I would have done to someone else. Any spiritualistic sociologist would have done the same, only on a more subtle level.

Typhoid: (sarcastically) Lucky me.

(Page 18, panel 1. The two of them stand up.)

Typhoid: Look, get out of here and out of my life. I don't want your help, so don't make me have to hurt you like I did all those other psychologists.

Lotus: Another one of you wants that help, though... Why are you hiding her from me?

(Panel 2. Typhoid gets face-to-face with Lotus.)

Typhoid: You have no right to question what I do.

Lotus: I'm not just speaking for myself, I'm speaking for her as well.

(Panel 3. Typhoid folds her arms across her chest, and gets a sour look on her face.)

Typhoid: I say what she wants, you don't.

Lotus: Do you?

(Panel 4.)

Typhoid: Just go away.

Lotus: You know I can't do that.

(Page 19, panel 1.)

Lotus: Don't make me have to use the spirit on you again to get her out.

Typhoid: I don't want you around her. You're a bad influence.

(Panel 2.)

Lotus: Am I really?

Typhoid: Yes.

(Panel 3.)

Lotus: I'm sorry you feel that way.

(Panel 4. Typhoid then turns back to Lotus, uncrossing her arms. Typhoid points her finger into Lotus' chest. Anger is written all over her.)

Typhoid: You filled her head with stupid ideas like we could be normal again!

(Page 20, panel 1. Lotus smiles slightly again.)

Lotus: Remember that when you point at someone, three fingers point back at you.

(Panel 2. Angry, Typhoid tries to hit Lotus. Lotus, however, shifts into her spirit form. Typhoid's hand passes through her.)

Typhoid: GOD-DAMN -!

(Panel 3. Typhoid gets angrier than she already is.)

Typhoid: Turn solid so I can kick the $%&* out of you!

Lotus: You really want to fight me? Or is it just a fighting of yourself?

(Panel 4. Typhoid starts a fire where Lotus is, but this does not affect Lotus.)

Lotus: Well, if you want to fight me, then you can do so. But be warned - I am not a pushover.

(Panel 5. Lotus turns solid, moving away from the fire, which dies down.)

Typhoid: You're getting the beating of your life.

Lotus: Just try.

--Continued in part II--